ORANGES FROM SOUTH AFRICA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13780, 19 June 1908, Page 7

ORANGES FROM SOUTH AFRICA.

THE FIRST CONSIGNMENT. [Br TELEURAI'tf.— tOKRKSFOXDEXT.] Wellington, Thursday. Fifty cases of nave] oranges, brought from Capetown by the. Corinthic, were landed at Wellington, and inspected by Mr. Palethorpe, 'of the Biological Department. He found red scale and mealy bug amongst them, but though these are diseases for which fumigation :'e insisted upon by the Department, they are less seriously regarded than such a. dangerous affection as fruitfly maggot. There was no trace of this disease amongst the Cape Colony shipment, and they were passed, with, a proviso for fumigation. The oranges are marked, "Specially selected," and the manner of their packing has also been special. Each was wrapped in tissue paper, and instead of being piled a dozen deep in gin cuees, they were packed in three layers within a shallow and broad box,'having shredded paper at, top and bottom. At each end of the box were slots, cut of a size to allow of four fingers being inserted when the box needed shifting. This serves the further purpose of giving ventilation to the fruit. The reward for this careful packing was apparent in the two cases of fruit opened by Mr. Palethorpe this morning, for there were only six oranges mouldy or in any other way damaged out of the whole numlwr (170). It is believed that this consignment is the first lot of .oranges that has come to New Zealand from South Africa,